Quick formatting question

2008-06-07 10:10:02

#1

Bert10099: []D [] []\/[] []D; +177|7011|United States

I want to format my computer. But there are some things I would like to keep. I have no flash drives, don't feel like uploading everything to a website, and it would take too many CD's if I were to put my data on them.

If I were to put my files on my drive D:, would they be lost when I format my computer?

I have two drives, my normal drive C: and Recovery drive D:. I want to recover back to factory default settings. I know this will format my drive C:, but I'm not sure if this will also restore my D: to default settings, and erase all the files I wanted to safe.

Any input is appreciated.

2008-06-07 10:11:56

#2

alexb: <3; +590|6210|Kentucky, USA

Make a new partition, save it on that partition, then format the first partition where your shite isn't backed up.

2008-06-07 10:13:09

#3

Mitch92uK: aka [DBS]Mitch92uK; +192|6505|United Kingdom

Is D a physically different drive or just a partition?

When you format you only format over the partition, so just move everything you want kept to your non-os partition. When you format, format over the OS partition and D drive/partition will remain in tact.

2008-06-07 10:24:02

#4

Bert10099: []D [] []\/[] []D; +177|7011|United States

I have this:

https://img516.imageshack.us/img516/592/pc1ki7.jpg

If I do this (first selection, "recovery"):

https://img507.imageshack.us/img507/3505/pc2xk1.jpg

Will Drive D: be formatted?

2008-06-07 10:41:59

#5

Bert10099: []D [] []\/[] []D; +177|7011|United States

I'm thinking no, since D: is used to format C:, so how could the PC format both at the same time?

Yes?

2008-06-07 13:48:34

#6

SpIk3y: Minister of Silly Walks; +67|6409|New Jersey

Like Mitch said, it depends whether or not D: is its own drive. It is probably a partition on your C: drive. If you do a factory recovery, it will most likely delete anything that wasn't on the computer when you bought it. Even things on the D: partition. My guess is that the D: drive is just a small partition to store things like drivers and factory settings. It might not even be big enough to hold all of your back-up data.

If you know for a fact that D: is a 2nd physical hard drive, then you should be OK.

Last edited by SpIk3y (2008-06-07 13:50:06)

2008-06-07 14:10:33

#7

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6770|so randum

Why don't you move all the shit you want saving to the other drive, then physically disconnect it?

Small hourglass island
Always raining and foggy
Use an umbrella

2008-06-07 14:13:13

#8

Brasso: member; +1,549|6900

FatherTed wrote:
Why don't you move all the shit you want saving to the other drive, then physically disconnect it?

as a recovery "disk" for a Gateway (read:prebuilt) computer, i would assume that it's a partition. that's the way my parents' Compaq is: it has a 10 GB partition for recovery.

i would create another partition (just in case) with a program, and put your stuff there. then just format the C drive.

"people in ny have a general idea of how to drive. one of the pedals goes forward the other one prevents you from dying"

2008-06-07 14:14:35